Reflection #2: Eyes in the Back of Your Head: Observing Student Actions==
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
My second visit was the following day, students did labs on the new work they had just learned.
These comments apply to both days.
First, there was no heads on desks, or other examples of complete lack of interest, as I have seen in other classes, and other students have reported. I mentioned this in a conversation between classes. My CT told me that those behaviors might be found elsewhere but not in his class, they simply were not acceptable. He added that "i don't refer students anywhere. They have me to deal with."
I think I have found my model.
I discussed this with a friend who is retired military, who pointed out two things that help to keep that authority:
1. make requests that make sense. They can be hard, but should be necessary.
From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
What strategies are used by your CT to encourage students to attend and engage? Watch carefully how your CT moves around the room. Draw a map of the classroom and sketch a path showing (approximately) this movement.
How important is student engagement to your view of how you will teach? What strategies will you employ to encourage student engagement?
My second visit was the following day, students did labs on the new work they had just learned.
These comments apply to both days.
First, there was no heads on desks, or other examples of complete lack of interest, as I have seen in other classes, and other students have reported. I mentioned this in a conversation between classes. My CT told me that those behaviors might be found elsewhere but not in his class, they simply were not acceptable. He added that "i don't refer students anywhere. They have me to deal with."
I think I have found my model.
I discussed this with a friend who is retired military, who pointed out two things that help to keep that authority:
1. make requests that make sense. They can be hard, but should be necessary.
2. tell people what is needed, not how to do it.